Re: [Paddlewise] Legs Are Everything

From: RICHARD CULPEPER <culpeper_at_tbaytel.net>
Date: Tue, 07 Sep 2004 10:53:38 -0400
When one pushes with ones leg, one straightens that leg.  The straightening pushes that 
sides butt cheek further back than the other butt cheek.  This rotates the lower trunk.

The rotation of the lower trunk does two things:

First, even if nothing else were done, it provides rotation necessary to propel the boat, in 
which the relatively weak arms are used to transmit the very strong rotational force created 
by the legs.

Second, it helps trigger further rotation higher up the trunk, in which the relatively weak 
arms are used to transmit the very strong rotational force created by the mid-trunk and 
upper trunk/lat.

Foot, leg, butt cheek, lower trunk, mid-trunk, upper trunk/lat, arm, hand.  It starts with 
the toes, finishes with the fingers, and uses as many of the big leg, trunk and shoulder 
muscles as possible, building on each other, resulting in explosive force.

Here are some video clips from Kayak Sport Canada.  Pay particular attention to the legs and 
hips of Brunett:
http://www.kayaksport.net/technique/movies.html

Richard Culpeper
OSCRA/CCA Sprint Racing Instructor
http://my.tbaytel.net/culpeper/
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Received on Tue Sep 07 2004 - 07:53:55 PDT

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